Vehicle



Aug. 21,1923,

J. LE R. BANKS .VEHIGLE Filed Aug. 8, 1921 I IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

enemas Au 21, teas,

Jo'snrH LE nor BANKS, or retainers-n, MARYLAND.

vnnronn Application filed August 8, 1921. Serial No. 490,439.

V invented a newand useful Improvement in Vehicles, ofzwhich thefollowing is a speciicationi v i i t a 'My invention relates toimprovements in vehicles andconcerns ,the objects ofproviding a newarticle of manufacture; 2nd, to provide a novel; direct drive forvehicles, etc.; 3 rd,' to provide an unbroken crankshaft in line withthemain :axles secured to the wheels of a vehicle; 4th, to providealcranleshaft forming part-of an engine, whose axis of rotation is inline with the axes of the driven wheels,-and having differ entials, orcoaster brakes arranged in the same axialline as that of the drivenwheels; 5th, to-provide' a motor driven shaft, whose axial line isinline with the axial line of driven wheels with means for permittingthe wheels to move at differing speeds when turning or roundinga curve;6th, a power drive for vehicles arranged in the rear of the vehicleobliquely toythe plane formed by the axes of the front and rear wheels,to permit both the heat and the exhaust from the engines to bedissipated as far in therear of the vehicle as possible; 7th, to placethe motor of a vehicle for driving it, as far as possible in thevrear ofthe vehicle, beyond the driven axles of the rear wheels, so as toprovide greater accessibility to the motor parts than'heretofore. 8th,to provide a motor driven shaft of a'vehicle with brakes similar to thecoaster brakes oi bicycles, for replacing difierentials and to permitcoasting of the vehicle 10th, to pro- -vide a vehicle with a chassis orchassis frame with brackets or extensions at the rear andbeyondandextending above the.'

rear bearings 'forthe axles of the rear wheels; 11th, to provide avehicle with a chassis frame having means tor supporting a motor at therear andabove' the rear bearings for the axles ofthe rear, wheels,

and a hood secured by suitable means to said chassis frame. This hoodmay be the usual type of hinged hoods used in common automobile practiceby automobile manufacturers. i

Iattain these objectsby the arrangement of the parts of well knowndevices indiwheels, for supporting thejengine or motor cated andpartially illustrated in the ac companying drawings in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a part of the chassis frame showing the drivinggear in position.

Jig, 2 's a modified side elevation of the obliquely swung engine,showing the chassis .iraine having means, beyond and above the rearbearings for the axles of the rear and the hood. 7 3 is a section of amodified differentiating device or a modified coaster brake forpermitting the differentiation of the wheels of my vehicle when roundingcurves in the roadbed. i

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the chassis frame ofa vehicle with the usual bearings, provided with either ball, roller orplain bushings, 2 and held to the chassis frame 1 by the bolts :2, inwhich bearings are journalled the axles l and 5 respectively operatingto rotate the wheels-36 and 37 respectively; and

to these axles are secured the bevel gears 7' by the pin 6 to axle i,and 9 secured .to its axle 5 by its pin 6* by which the pinions l1-12,and 13r-':l.4: respectively are rotated when the wheels are moving at adifierent rate of speed from the crankshaft when the vehirleis roundinga curve. a i r The exterially arranged coaxial gears 7 and 9, while inline w th the axes of rota- .tion of both the crankshaft 18,and thedriven wheels 36 and 37, are free to rotate around the crankshaft butare fr1ct1onally held in their respective casing collars 8 .and 10secured to the opposite ends 18 and 20 of the crankshaft 18 by the pins8 and 10, so that the friction of the casing collars will equalapproximatelythat of the road traction when going in a straight line;the friction upon the bevel gears 7-9 in the casing collars will thusprevent the small pinions from turning except when the road traction isincreased at the wheels .when rounding a curve, then the pinions willrevolve sufiiciently to permit the wheels to accommodate themselves tothe varying speeds of the different wheels required to round curves.

But I may use the hubs of the wheels for rotating them in lieu of theaxles, similar to the arrangement of automobiles having hubs secured tosleevesf over stationary axles, or may connect the hubs of the wheelsdirect to differentiating devices. 7

Inside of the casing collars 8 and 10 and spanning the space between theaxles of the wheels and the crankshaft, are pivoted the 'pinions 11--12and13 l4i respectively and move with the. casing collars and thecrankmotion.

shaft and the axles when The" crankshaft 18 is supported by the bearings15-16- -17, in which are journalled the'three supporting bearing pins18- 19-20 or main shaft of: the crankshaft 1S providedwith'the cranks 19-20, said crankshaft 18 being secured in the usual wa by the ines-* tothe casing colthought necessary to describe the engine or motormoreiully than to say that the crossheads 25 and 26 connected by theconnectlng rees 21-22 respectively, are operated by the piston'rodsQ'Z-Qi respectively operated in turn b their-c hnders Q930 braced b 7the V y l 3 'yoker33 supported by the ball 31 held by its complementsocket '32 forming part of or attached to the bracket 3% secured to thechassis itrame 1 of the vehicle. The operatlon of my principle being selfevident from the drawings, it is not thought necessary to detail itsoperation; but Ido not care to limit niyseltto any particularconstructionof engine or motor to operate or drive my crankshaft; nordo- I care to limit'the position of the engine to any an gle in itsfixed position on'the vehicle.

In Figure 2 the engine or motor 30 is shown obliquely suspended at therear of the chassis frame, thereby making its accessi- 'bility moreadvantageous in reaching its parts to ascertain whether 1ts workingparts "are n good conditlon; and for exhibiting the working parts in acompleted vehicle;

dis-well as to ascertain what parts are re ofvehicles;

1 quired to make repairs; also to assist in dissipating the heat fromvthe engine away from the occupants of the vehicle when it is in {motionThe parts and pipes to the engine are not "shown, nor the power plantforxoperating the engine or the motor; it being common practice toprovide power plants for motors In Figure 3, ll',l1 ,1l are rol ersincased 1n the casing collar 10 and are free to revolve or roll in theircanrshaped seekthe vehicle is in secured to propellin ets l1",11 :,1lrespectively, except' when the said rollers are gripping-the a'xle 5 asthe said casing collar revolves towardsthe left with the motion'of theengine crankshaft, releasing the axle when .the'axle and its roundingcurVesJ 35 showsa housing or cover, for the en-ii 0 7 wheel exceed theengine speed as when gines. lshows'the'body of a car supported by the'spring38 attachedfto and-above the chassis frame'l of the vehicle;

In using an electric motor to substitute the engine shown, the rotatingpar'ts of the motor would be substituted in place of the crankshaft; I

1.7 In a'vehicle, apowerdrivecomprising a shaft divided intothreesectiong thexouter sections of which are l suitably secured topropelling wheels at one end "andat the other end to a gear, a series ofbevel pinions spanning thespace betweenth'e outer 'sections and theinner section and meshing with a gear free to rotate around the shaftbut frictionallyheldin a collar easing secured to the inner section andinclosi'ng the said gears andpinions, and means for-rotatingthe innersection of the shaft. f

2. In a vehicle, a power drive comprising a shaft divided inte sectionsthe outer sec tions adapted to rotate the propelling wheels and theinner section, provided with a power means and forming'part of thesaidpower means, having collarsat both ends inclosing means fordifferentially operating the outer sections, and ineans fQr supplyingpower to the power means."

3. In a'vehicl'e, a power drivecomprising ashaft di ided intosectionsthe'outer sections" of which are adapted to rotate-propellingwheels and the inner section forming part of the driving means andhaving at each end a'casing'collar inclosing means for spanningthe outerand inner section ends todiflerentially rotate the outer sections,andmeans forsupplyingpower'to the inner section. V

4:. In a vehicle, a chassis frameprovided with an extension above thechassis frame towards the rearof'the veh1cle, b'ear1ngs in the i'ramefor-the rear axl e'svo' f the rear wheels, a oint securedto the saidextension,

a power supply ng means secured to said oint, a rear axle dividedintosectlons and g wheels and driven 'by the power means, and meansforpermittmg the "dilferentiatin'g of the rear propelling wheels.

5. In a vehicle, acha'ssi's tram'e having an angula extension at therearofth e ve- "hicle beyond the rear axle and-above the wheel baseforsupportingthe powermeans. V 6. In a vehicle, achassis frame havingan. angular extension-at the rearofthe vehicle beyond the rear axle andabove thef'wheel base, a power, means secured to said extenwith anextension above the said frame, one member of a movable joint secured tothe said extension and the other member of the said movable jointsecured to a power means said power means being adapted to propel thesaid vehicle,

8. In a vehicle, a chassis frame provided with an extension above thesald frame, one member of a universal 101m; secured to the saidextension, and the other member of the universal joint being secured toa power means adapted to propel the vehicle, with means for securing theparts of thesaid universal joint together.

JOSEPH LE- ROY BANKS.

